Briefing: China Communist Party propaganda quiz app to hire hundreds

What happened: State media China Central Television station is recruiting around 150 people to manage propaganda quiz app “Xuexi Qiangguo,” which translates to “Study the Powerful Country,” Bloomberg reported. Applicants are expected to adhere to the core values of socialism and maintain “a high degree of unity with the ideological and political actions” of President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party. Released in January 2019, the app topped Apple’s China App Store soon after. Government employees are required to use the app regularly, but in practice supervision on its use varies according to provinces and government departments.

Why it’s important: The new headcount of more than 150 personnel, most of whom are new media editors, could potentially help the app transform dense political speeches and documents into more engaging content and increase the app’s appeal. “Xuexi Qiangguo” has a wide array of content such as general news and free books, documentaries, and classes, but the use of the app is still largely forced. Many party members use unconventional means get points in the app such as leaving the app open while they do other things. Some even use software to make it appear as if they’ve been using the app regularly.